Understanding COPD Flare-Ups

Date: 11/21/22

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a disease that affects your lungs and your ability to breathe. Sometimes a flare-up (also known as an exacerbation) happens when your COPD respiratory symptoms become more intense. A flare-up of symptoms can be very dangerous.

A flare-up is usually caused by an infection in the lung. It can also come from smoking, environmental factors or allergies. Sometimes the cause is unknown.

Common signs and symptoms of a flare-up include:

Changes in color of mucus (brown, yellow, or green).
Change or worsening of cough.
Difficulty breathing more than usual.
Tiredness.

Knowing the signs can help you seek treatment early and avoid the flare-up from doing more harm. Flare-ups can come on within hours or days. If you’re experiencing severe symptoms, you should contact your doctor. Some symptoms can be treated at home with an inhaler or antibiotic. Other more serious symptoms could require other treatments.

You can help prevent flare-ups and avoid infections by:

Getting your flu shot.
Avoiding people who are sick.
Washing your hands.

You can read more about COPD from our news post, "What is Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)?".

For more information on COPD, flare-ups, causes and symptoms, please visit: